5 Things To Avoid When Booking The Xmas Party

Xmas party planning season has arrived, which means it’s time to get out a long checklist of all your Xmas party planning duties. Luckily, the Internet is full of guides, tips and articles on the things that you should do to ensure the Christmas party goes without a hitch. However, there’s not many articles out there which tell you what to avoid when Xmas party planning. But, don’t get your tinsel in a tangle, here’s a little gift from us to help you navigate any potential pitfalls.

1. Don’t book the Xmas party venue without conducting a site visit

Now, this may sound obvious, but, I kid you not, there are still many event organisers, Eas and PAs out there who get so drawn in by the images of a venue that they go ahead and book without actually checking the venue out. This is a straight no no! Ever heard of the saying, ‘looks can be deceiving?’ Well the same applies with venues, not just people. It’s so crucial to check out any venues before you book for capacity purposes, and to ensure that the venue is fully accessible for guests. And, of course, a site visit also means that you can rest assured that your boss won’t have a complete frenzy when they enter the Christmas venue gates.

When looking for a Christmas party venue, people often base the maximum capacity on the number of people that are due to attend, which is obviously wise. However, the seating arrangements of your Xmas bash can greatly affect how much space you’ll have. Don’t just assume that because a venue can hold 100 people, that it can hold 100 of your guests with cabaret layout. Always make sure that you’re well aware of how much space a venue can hold based on your personal seating arrangements, not just a standard guideline, especially if you plan on having entertainment as well.

3. Don’t leave the office Christmas party planning until the last minute

There are 12 months in a year, and a good 4 of them should be spent on Christmas party planning. Literally, the earlier you start the better! It may sound ridiculous, but it’s not just finding the right venue, entertainment and catering that takes time, even fixing the date can be a hassle. You don’t want to let any office scrooges have an excuse not to attend. Book in the calendar time early and ensure all your colleagues are up for a night of fun, laughter, and festivity.

4. Don’t expect a central location to be the right location

When it comes down to location people often think that Central is the best bet. And, of course, regarding transportation links, the centre of any city is always a shout. However, proper planning means you take everything into consideration; perhaps the city centre isn’t actually the easiest place for your colleagues or guests to get to. If your office is a two and a half hour commute from the city centre, does it really make sense for the Xmas party to be held somewhere because it’s supposedly central? Or, maybe the venues within the city are less affordable. If you’re looking to switch up the vibe this Christmas, then perhaps a change of scenery is actually what you’re actually after.

5. Don’t forget about special dietary requirements

Last. but definitely not least… Christmas is all about making memories, but the worst memory to go down in history would be your colleague ending up in A&E with a face that looks like Will Smith out of Hitch because you forgot to tell caterers about a nut allergy. Don’t take the risk! Make sure you know all of your guests’ dietary requirements well in advance to let any caterers know.